learned today to the tune of les paul. what i learned today, willie, is children are going to go hungry tonight -- >> oh, god. >> little dogs will -- hold on, i pay for this. little puppy dogs will die loanle lonely tonight, all because mika is putting her pureness above humanity. >> yeah, we have to forgive ourselves. >> i said for the charitable donation of $100,000 i would do it. >> i learned "way too early" is

on way too early. >> i have to go back to football. you can meet great man on television. i was introduced to joe gibbs. >> thank you so much. i learned, happy birthday, pensacola, as well. 450 years. willie, if it's way too early, what time is it? >> it's time for "morning joe." but the "morning meeting" starts right now. today, we will talk aboutçó questions of ted tenabout ted k health. also, a midair collision caught on tape. disturbing new video of that crash over the hudson river. plus new information about what was happening in airport control towers at the moment of impact,

and also not encouraging. meanwhile, the huffing ton post that spells out the details a back room deal between the white house and drug companies. we will speak with a reporter that broke that story coming up. protecting the president, a man being investigated for making threats against barack obama leading police into a chase, and standoff. the president is getting 30 threats a day. how difficult is it to keep track of the so-called loan wolf's danger. >> i am daven weaver, and i am here at the white house to interview president obama about education. >> a pint-sized reporter with a big interview. it's 9:00 a.m., and do pull up a chair and join the meeting.

good morning to you. we begin with funeral services for eunice kennedy shriver getting way in about an hour. one person we will miss is senator ted kennedy. the senator has been battling brain cancer, as we know. andrea mitchell is live outside the family's church in massachusetts. what does this tell us, if anything, about senator kennedy? >> reporter: what it does, dylan is confirm that his health is precarious. this is a difficult time for the kennedy family. his wife will be here. i did talk to bobby kennedy jr., one of his many nephews yesterday about it. this is what bobby had to say about uncle ted. >> ted is having his own struggles right now.

but he is doing well. he was sailing. i saw him out on the boat yesterday. he was going sailing every day, and keeping up with his work. >> reporter: keeping up with his work, but of course the other piece of this, dylan, is his absence on the floor of the senate and in the cois a big va. and the authority, the skill, the legislative skill of the line of the senate is what is really missing for the obama white house here in this health care debate. >> mike barnicle is also on the phone with us here. mike, are you there. >> i am here, dylan. >> who else are you expecting in attendance today? describe the event that you yourself is on the way to? what is building here? >> well, you know, it's, again,

unfortunately, for the kennedy family, a convening of people that they are sadly familiar with. they are incredibly familiar with the road of funerals and the catholic mass and burial, and everybody in america knows that. i think it will be an interesting assortment of people by invitation only. and one element that i think will put a smile on the basis of both the family as well as people observing it will be the many people, special olympic athletes who have been affected, have had their lives so deeply affected by the words and works of eunice shriver. that's an element of joy and an element of sadness, with her death. >> what are you hearing about senator kennedy? >> i will give you the exact same answer that andrea gave you.

obviously his health is slipping. it's obvious he is fighting a long battle with brain cancer. he had been out sailing nearly every day. he is brought down to his boat that sits in the harbor, about 100 yards off the front porch of the family compound. in the past, up until two weeks ago, he had been traveling up the hill about 150 yards to the shriver home, where he would have a late afternoon drink with his sister,erri eunice, who was suffering her own failing health at that time, and it's lit raleigh hora literally hour by hour and day by day. another big story we are following this morning, nbc news obtained exclusive and draw theic new video of last

weekend's deadly river between new york city and new jersey. the video may be disturbing. it was caught on tape by an italian tourists aboard a boat on the hudson. all of the people in the aircrafts here were killed. in another stunning development, we are learning two aircraft controllers have been removed from duty because one was on a personal phone call the moments before the tragedy, and then another was a supervisor, apparently not even in the building at the time. tom costello following all the latest developments as we watch the pictures. what new information do we have. >> aviation sources tell us that the reason we know that air-traffic controller was on the phone on a personal phone call, and some reports say he was on the phone with his girlfriend. the reason we know that is because he also had the head set at the time and they could

record the entire personal conversation. in addition to that, the supervisor in the tower at the time was not in the tower. both face suspension. and this is important to underscore, no reason to believe that those air controllers' actions in any way contributed to the crash. it may be information that they developed as a result of their investigation. what they do know is that this video that we are showing you, which is exclusive to nbc news may be critical in trying to determine how the accident happened. they are going through it piece by piece at the ntsb, frame by frame. it does appear to support the theory that the private plane came up from behind the helicopter as it was ascending and turning and may not have seen the chopper. and it ran into the chopper's rotor blade. and it literally sliced off.

the plane flipped off and did a nose dave with the helicopter, and all nine people parished. the five italian tourists that were onboard yesterday returned to their homeland, to italy. they will be buried in italy. but this all of course races concerns about the airspace over the hudson river. as we head many times, below 1100 feet, no air-traffic control and flight plan required. they may consider whether they need to impose regulations or restrictions in that airspace. >> did they have visual radar? can they see aircraft below 1100 feet on their radar screens? >> it's difficult. as you know the corridor is lined with rather tall buildings and some sky scrapers. those buildings interfere with

radar looking lower and lower. that's a reason why they said below 1,100 feet, you will operate on visual flight rules, where the pilots must communicate on open frequency, and that's not recorded. and the faa is considering requiring, not making it voluntary, but pilots regularly updating their position and destination, and their flight path themselves as they communicate between each other. and it's important to note, as we have done, this is according to one private pilot's organization. this is the first midair collision in that airspace since 1963. so you can make the argument that despite the fact that it has gotten busy in that airspace, the system works well. >> and yeah, this is a car accident in the sky. you want to do everything that can you do to prevent them, and car accidents unfortunately

happen, and unfortunately collisions like this may occur from time to time, as awful as that may be. i want to get to chris jansing. what is going on this morning? >> a potential announcement we are hearing from john edwards. we are hearing this could be a bombshell out of north carolina linea. a local north carolina tv station is saying the senator will admit he is the father of the former mistress's young daughter. nbc news has not confirmed this, but did admit to having an affair with his former aide. he denied for months that he is the father of 18-month-old, francis. and then police say phelps was driving and collided with

another vehicle. police say alcohol was not a factor in the crash. about an hour and a half from now obama heads out for the second trip in three days, working to assure people he has the right plan to fix health care. the president and first lady will arrive in montana a few hours from now. he will hold a town hall just before 3:00 eastern. getting involved in a informed debate. you can watch the president's town hall live from montana right here on msnbc. our coverage set to begin at 2:55 eastern time. he may have one less rumor to deal with. the end-of-life provision, which some argued would end with death panels. here is an interesting note on former governor, sarah palin, who led the charge on criticizing this. it looks as though palin supported end of life while

governor. in 2008, governor palin declared a, quote, health care decisions day, which called for more awareness and the need to plan ahead for decisions needed to end a life. nobody knows how that specifically differs from what had been in the health care plan nationally. >> fun death panels. god help us. we know president obama and the drug industry reach add deal on health care reform that involves billions in concessions, and we know the industry will spend $50 million to lobby for the president's overhaul television plans. but, a question on what the white house may have promised the drug dealers in a so-called back room deal. and we are joined by ryan with

the story. >> throughout the spring and culminating in a white house meeting july 7th between top former lobbyists and executives, the white house and big farma agreed to what they would give each other in exchange for the support of the health care reform bill. >> let's talk about that. the drug concessions increased generic versions, and better negotiations coming off, and 50% drug patients in the doughnut hole. those that cannot afford -- and also additional taxes and fees. can you elaborate on the concessions of those? >> probably the biggest concession, the thing that has been talked about the most is that doughnut hole provision, where they will give a discount to seniors that are in the period where medicare is not

picking up the coverage. they would slash prices by 50%. and so they do set the prices. >> let's get to the more interesting part, perhaps, which is in order to get that, what would the house get? they said they opposed outside competition, and that's the essence of all of these things, and i cannot believe that. and oppose medicare part d rebates, and keep government out of the drug price negotiationn., >> what they mean by opposing importation, they want to oppose the idea of being allowed to import cheaper drugs from

canada. u.s. consumers pay many times more than other countries for pharmaceuticals. >> we subsidize other countries by paying more here so they can other lower prices there. >> yeah, a lot of patience, what they like to do is order their drugs from canada and have them shipped down. they call it reempoor tags, because a lot of times they will be made and then you buy them cheaper. >> savannah guthrie at the white house. what do they say? >> they say that memo does not reflect the deal that was struck. but there is a deal, and from the white house's perspective, it's simple. they agree to savings, no more and no less.

that alone infewer yats some congress members. and with regard to the memo, they point out that it was leaked from an industry lobbyist, and it may be a case where the lobbyist has a certain understanding of what the terms of the deal are and writes that down and sends that around and thinks that the deals -- >> where does the white house, if they said at all, do they say the memos are misrepresentative of the deal they did strike? >> reporter: well, one thing i heard is as part of the negotiations on the issue of reimportation, a representation from the white house that says if we get the cost down, if this all works, we won't have to worry about reempoor tags, which is different than saying the white house will impose the concept of re-importing drugs. >> do they come on the mere ethics of cutting a back room deal with a large industry that sends money to politicians prior to allowing any democratic

debate on the subject of health care on anybody in america? >> well, robert gibbs talk a bit about it. he said we think it's important to have industry at the table. that's why they made the deal. they think that, you know, ultimately, and if you look back in the first efforts of health care reform in the early 90s, the industry largely opposed health care reform. this time they have a seat at the table. sure, motivated by self interest. and they feel it's important to deal with the hospitals, and the doctors and the insurers and so forth to try to extract the best deal they can get. i want to play you something in an exchange between chuck todd and robert gibbs. >> can you say for sure they were promised nothing in return? >> i can assure you we have come to an agreement to seek savings from the pharmaceutical industry as part of comprehensive health care. >> so that's the white house's position, the $80 billion deal exists, and it stands. as for the specifics, maybe we

will hear about it when it comes part of the bill in the senate, which actually is said that this will be in the senate finance committee. >> thank you so much. karen finny is with us for the day. what is going on here? >> well, the problem with this, independent of what may or may not be in there, the optics are terrible. congress is you upset because they feel perhaps the deal was struck, and you here them say we are not going to be bound by a deal we are not part of. >> is this a democracy? literally, there are so many decisions that are going back to cheney and bush, and now this, and it made -- >> but aside from the politics of this, it puts the administration in an awkward position that congress feels like they cannot be trusted because they are cutting deals they are not part of, and they are not saying what is in the

deal. and the americans are saying wait a second, it's important to have pharma at the table. i think the administration should have thought about it in terms of if they were going to cut a deal, how you talk about it and bring in on it, it's critical. >> yeah, the volume system. is it for the benefit of industry, or patients and doctors? >> i have to assume they are trying to put the best interest of both parties at heart, and hopefully patients first. >> yes, i love the assumption, and i would like to see the actual actions. this sunday, on "meet the press," this debate reaches a fever pitch. david gregory will devote the full hour to health care. guests include former house majority leader, and former senate leader, tom daschle, and

rachel maddow will meet them on "meet the press." check your local listings. that program certainly worth watching. and next, more join the ranks each week as we know join the unemployment benefits. president obama, are you smarter than a fifth grader? a pint-sized reporter heads to the white house for a one-on-one with the president. that intrepid reporter joins the "morning meeting" when we return. what's in it for me? i'm not looking for a bailout, just a good paying job. that's why i like this clean energy idea. now that works for our whole family.

for the kids, a better environment. for my wife, who commutes, no more gettin' jerked around on gas prices... and for m well, it wouldn't be so bad if this breadwinner brought home a little more bread. repower america. i hope our senators are listening. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. the sparkly flakes. the honey-baked bunches! the magic's in the mix. my favorite part? eating it.

honey bunches of oats. taste the joy we put in every spoonful. what do you say to a spin around the color wheel? - to paint with prir already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ...so we can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo! ♪ oh! more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there.

's progressive. call or click today.

breaking news on inflation. the data continues to roll through here. what is going on? >> the labor department is releasing the new figures for the consumer price index. they show the prices for groceries goods and services were eventually flat last month, rising 1/10 of a percentage. and consumer prices are down 2% from a year ago, the biggest drop since 1950. so we are going to have to keep an eye out to see if the numbers have an impact on wall street. and stocks gained ground yesterday despite retail sales and jobs. >> according to that weekly jobs number, and for that matter all of the 6 million plus americans who have become unemployed over the past year and a half, that

number could continue to rise, particularly if congress does not pass another extension of unemployment benefits. we have 6.2 americans currently unemployment. we are adding to the rolls at a slower rate than we were. the benefits run for 79 weeks. the concern is the layoffs over the past year and a half, and the unemployment benefits that went to pay those people are now going to run out which creates another potential crisis, and dan grosa joins us. welcome back. where are we headed with the unemployment and the costs -- you understand the narrative? >> well, i think that there is no great expectation that employment will really bounce back. you know, there has been a mystery. the economy started to expand in november of 2001, and we continued to lose payroll jobs through the middle of 2003.

that was not 16 or 18 months of job losses after the economy started to grow. people started to talk about outsourcing and manufacturing is going to china. and there is contract temporary workers. and companies invest in the productivity, and those numbers will be off the chart this quarter and the previous quarter. they are getting smart about doing more with less. and there is no reason to think that that won't be happening this time around. the question has to be is what sort of policies can we put in place that will make our safety net more like a safety net, and less like a safety threat. health care is a big chunk of that, and unemployment benefits is another component. >> one other piece of information that i wanted to introduce, and it goes like this. this is the wealth of the top 1/100th of 1% of americans.

so .01%. if we can get the graphic up, you can see what we are talking about. basically, we never had more wealth in a smaller group of hands, which inherently is not a meaningful piece of information, but the last time we had this wealth concentration, the bank regulations were not as good as they might have been, the speculative bubble, and all that jazz. we find ourselves again in a too-big-to-fail culture. i wonder, dan, if the reason why wall street is back and the corporations are back is because they are firing people. instead of creating volume by having new ideas and innovation in our country, which creates

jobs, and it's creating you make money by firing people, and it diminishes the emphasis on doing it better and innovating, because it's easier to fire people and save money. >> yeah, a lot of gains and profits come through cost cutting. and the companies we work at, whether it's your parent chlt ge, or the "washington post" company. and there is no industry, no company that has not reduced. and even the companies that employ really rich people, like wall street firms, they have been cutting back as well. and that is the -- that is part of the cool book. we don't have these sort of social -- >> but my question is -- >> you don't just fire people. >> but isn't that tremendous wealth concentration, at least in part, evidence of the success of too big to fail?

if i can create an institution where i collect money from the system and put the risk with the taxpayer, i get a lot of money and don't create value and that's not creating jobs? >> absolutely. that's one of the big issues. we go back to the '20s, where the top 1% were making everything. and what preceded that was henry ford and the $5-day, where people called him a socialists. you pay your employees enough money where you can afford your product. in case, a car. and he said i will pay my workers 5 bucks a day, and so -- well, middle class, something like that, it gives you a dignity that working is supposed to bring. we lost that. >> the data is startling.

i know you want to get in. jonathan capehart has been waiting patiently. we will get to you straight ahead here on the "morning meeting." a man suspected of threatening obama arrested after a chase with police. how difficult is it to track so-call so-called lone wolf dangers. back after this. and we all have doubt. but when the moment comes... what's going to win? here's to confidence. gillette helps you look, feel, be your best. gillette. the best a man can get. ♪ bicycle, what are we waiting for?

the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors anoutdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card... i realized i needed... an aarp medicare supplement insurance card too. one simple call... gave me the chance to talk... with a personal health insurance advisor... who answered all my questions... about medicare supplement plans. so i could understand it all... after i called... i was able to choose the plan that was right for me. if you're already on or eligible for medicare... call now to find out how... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company... helps you pay some of the 20% of your medical expenses...

not covered by medicare part b. that can save you from paying... thousands of dollars out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp... a name you trust. when you call now... we'll send you this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. so you can join the millions of people... who've already trusted us... for their medicare supplement insurance. plus we'll send you this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor and choose my own hospital. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get the free information kit. plus we'll include this free medicare guide. and the advantages don't end there. you can choose from a wide range of plans... that are all competitively priced... so you can find a plan that best fits your needs and budget. there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. and best of all... they're the only medicare supplement plans... endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp...

i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call now -- 1-800-232-7773/tty and let us help you choose the right plan. so call now, 1-800-232-7773/tty and find out about... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. a personal health insurance advisor is waiting for your call a man suspected of making threats against the white house is in custody this morning after a wild car chase and eight-hour long police standoff outside a federal building in los angeles after firing four rounds of tear-gas in the red vw, officers placed the man under arrest. hours earlier, four police cars cornered the vehicle at the federal building.

and a bomb squad was brought in to security the scene. the man was being investigated for making a threat against barack obama. when secret service agents arrived to question him he took off. the events all evidence of how seriously the threats against the president are being taken. agents are dispatched across the country as part of the push. among the duties, analyzing records for suspicious purchases that could be used to make pumz, and checking for prisoners set to release that have ties in the past to extremists groups. and then, dylan, i think it's worth remembering that

timothy mcvey was loner, and had a history of making these types of purchases. >> clint, how do you do this? how do you survey, profile and preempt a lone wolf? >> if have you a group, you have a chance to crack that group. you may be able to get in on their communications, and e-mails and phone messages, and you may see them sending data back and fourth on the internet. you always have this hope that there is going to be this positive person out there that may be a fringe member of a group that says i may not like -- whatever is it, the president or abortionists or something like that, and this guy is crazy, and they will tell the fbi the challenge here is when you get guys likely harvey

oswald or john hin kly, or the individual that went into the holocaust museum, with the exception of maybe posting something on the internet today, they don't tell anybody, they are not a member of a group, and all we can do is track their activities, if they rise to the service. and the challenge is how do you discern the difference between action, and ideas. many people sit there on the edge of the abyss, and not many grab a rifle and jump over the edge. >> mark, are you there? >> yes. >> is this more of a problem today than in the past? do you have any handle on the magnitude of this threat? >> well, as an antidotal matter, yeah, i think it's the lone wolf attacks has grown on the radical

right. this comes out of the famous essay of the white supremacists. and it was a response in large part to a major trial in ft. smith, arkansas in the '80s, a white supremacists leaders, and the idea was we have to prevent the infiltration. if one guys goes down and starts to talk to the government, he will take us with him. we have to build a system that protects our people was the idea. what that means is individuals or small cells on individuals act on their own without direction. >> jonathan capehart, this has come up with homeland security? >> yes, because there was a report that said members of the military, veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan would be people who right-wing groups might recruit, because they know how to fire weapons and have the

discipline, and in that report which i red -- >> showoff -- -- >> yeah, i did read it. >> i am teasing you. >> the report made a point of saying that the most dangerous of these right wing groups and people who are rising up since the election of obama is the lone wolf, that is the single most dangerous person that they are keeping their eyes out for, and the holocaust museum shooter falls into that category, and so does this person that the authorities were looking at yesterday. >> what is interesting actually in this discussion, and several years ago the army had the campaign, army of one. one of the things they found was attracting this kind of individual, and they found that they were getting lots of lone wolfs -- >> rambos. >> yeah, they stopped that messaging campaign and went to a new ad campaign, and now it's about army strong. and these guys have been around

for a while. i think maybe we are just hearing about them more, and the elements have been around for quite sometime. >> well, i mean, homeland security said that because of the economy and the historic presidential election that those two ingredients are combining to having more right-winged groups and extremists and traffic on the internet and all sorts of things over the last few months. so you can't discount what is happening. >> on an individual level, we know there have been these people out there for quite sometime. >> right. >> and clint makes a good point, there are a lot of people upset by a variety of things in the society, and the key is figuring out which ones will act violently as a result, and which ones will yell and scream. >> the ones that are willing to get caught. that's what the secret service will tell you. >> that's why you are here. karen finney is like my secret service.

gentlemen, ahead on the "morning meeting," the 11-year-old reporter that went toe-to-toe interviewing the powerful and the famous, now snags the biggest whale of them all. we have this determined young man live at the "morning meeting" to talk about his interview, one-on-one, with the president. so many arthritis pain relievers -- i just want fewer pills and relief that lasts all day. take 2 extra strength tylenol every 4 to 6 hours?!? taking 8 pills a day... and if i take it for 10 days -- that's 80 pills. just 2 aleve can last all day. perfect. choose aleve and you can be taking four times... fewer pills than extra strength tylenol. just 2 aleve have the strength to relieve arthritis pain all day. long summer days and not enough sleep.

what i wouldn't do for a do-over. (announcer) new neutrogena total skin renewal. gentle exfoliating puffs and micro-vibrations speed surface cell turnover. it's clinically tested to help undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just one week. that summer of sun? i just made it disappear. (announcer) new total skin renewal. neutrogena recommended most by dermatologists. do-overs do exist.

welcome back. the journalists around the country, an interview with the president could be considered the pen kul of their entire career. and now this boy got the chance to go one-on-one with the president of the united states of america at the white house. take a listen. >> i heard you would like to make an announcement about education. >> on september 8th, when young people across the country just started or are about to go back to school, i will make a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of going to school and how important it is for the entire country. i hope everybody tunes in. >> and mr. weaver joins us right now, and he is out of katherine

cunningham elementary. first off, congratulations. did you feel that he was forthcoming? did he answer your questions? >> yes. >> what was the most important piece of information that you felt you got from the president? >> well, about how education is going to be improved. >> what did he tell you about improving education that made you feel better about things? >> well, he told me that education could be better, and he said towns like mine, education can be improved a lot. >> you also talked to him about the school lunch, and what is in the cafeteria. i would like to play for everybody another sound byte from your interview. take a listen. >> i suggest that we have french

fries every day for lunch? >> well, if you were planning the lunch program, it would probably taste good to you, but it may not make you big and strong like you need to be. so we want to make sure that food tastes good in school lunches, but that they are also healthy for you, too. >> do you think the president has an issue with mangos? do we have an anti--mango president, damian? >> well, he said we cannot eat mangos with fries every day for lunch, because we need to be healthy and strong. >> did you give him any durt on the republicans? >> no. >> did you get into his view of what will ultimately happen with health care? did you talk to him about health care at all? >> no, sir. the subject was on education, because on september 8th, 2009,

he is giving a speech on education. >> understood. damian, i myself have been trying to get an interview with the president with no luck, so if you see him or talk to him again, could you tell him i am not a bad guy and i would love to do an interview with him myself? >> yes. >> thank you, sir. damien weaver in florida. enjoy the weekend and rest of your summer. >> good-bye. lots more coming up here on the "morning meeting." people had to be turned away in los angeles. what is the real cost to all of us for the uninsured in america. does your mouthwash work in six different ways? introducing listerine total care. everything you need... to strengthen teeth, help prevent cavities,

and kill germs. introducing 6 in 1 listerine total care. the most complete mouthwash. but did you know you also get hotel price assurance? it's a one-two punch of savings -- pow! pow! lower hotel booking fees mean you get a lower total price. plus, if another orbitz customer then books the same hotel for less, we send you a check for the difference, automatically.

when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions.

combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there. imodium. get back out there.

welcome back. to chris we go. what is going on? >> swine flu madness. >> lovely. >> they are bringing in the national guard in may, and do a drill at a high school, in case when the vaccine comes out, people go crazy. they will have a drill with the national guard to make sure it happens in the orderly fashion. if there is a worse case scenario, should they have to -- >> you know in the movies, it will be like that. >> in maine, they are also planning -- first of all, we should say they have 123 crisis of swine flu there, and they will deputize the dentist so you

can go to the dentist and get a swine flu your doctor. >> medical professionals so as to get more people access? >> yes. >> and controversy over rename ago school in dallas for barack obama. the problem renaming a school, somebody else's name has to be taken off. >> who was there? >> education person who, you know, had a long history of supporting education in south dallas. so that's -- >> not a former president? >> no. the man's name was bill data. also there is also a move to name a school after sonia sotomayor and there seems to be a little bit more support for that. nobody seems to be defending the person whose name is on the school now. o.m. roberts elementary school would be renamed to sonia sotomayor. >> need much more defenders. >> if there was a dylan ratigan school, wouldn't you feel bad if somebody was pulling it off and

name it chris jansing school? >> break my heart. why not build another school and name that after you? >> as a profound economy, i don't think you would do that. >> listen. if we don't have better education, what is our future to be? we must have many schools. >> many a new building to be named after you. i'm just saying. >> you put that in my mouth! you're right. that would be terrible if i did that. >> i'm just saying. >> we're going to take a break. we'll be back at the "morning meeting" after this. bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors and outdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™.

mr. evans? this is janice from onstar. i have received an automatic signal you've been in a front-end crash. do you need help? yeah. i'll contact emergency . you okay? yeah. onstar. standard for one year on 14 chevy models. have discovered how easy it is to use legalzoom for important legal documents. at legalzoom, we'll help you incorporate your business, file a patent, make a will and more. you can complete our online questions in minutes. then we'll prepare your legal documents and deliver them directly to you. so start your business, protect your family, launch your dreams.

welcome back. moments away now from the beginning of the funeral for u nice shriver. chris, what is going on? >> this is in hyannis, massachusetts. you can see they are making their way to the church. this is the summer church of the kennedy family. eunice shriver deeply religious and daily mass goer. this going to be a traditional

irish catholic mass. a wake yesterday and the kennedy family was up. they want to make this very much a celebration of her life for all that she has contributed. heard on msnbc yesterday talking to andrea mitchell, bobby kennedy saying how important she was, not just to the family, but her contribution to the world really in making the need of intellectual ableed people front and center and she accomplished more, the argument has been made, more than president kennedy and senator kennedy. notably, ted kennedy will not be there today. you see some of the pallbearers who are there making their way well. sargent shriver and maria shriver and you see maria shriver, a long time member of the nbc family. we will continue to follow what is happening in hyannis, massachusetts, the funeral of eunice kennedy. the $100 cream.

flabbergasted when we creamed the $700 cream! for under $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than 32 of the world's most expensive creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. people think that honda is always the most fuel efficient choice. well, this chevy cobalt xfe has better highway mileage than a comparable honda civic. this chevy traverse has better mileage than honda pilot. the all-new chevy equinox has better mileage than honda cr-v. and chevy malibu has better mileage than accord. however, honda does make something that we just can't compete with. it's self-propelled. there's never been more reasons to look at chevy. combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea sytoms, so you can get back out there. imodium. get back out there.

good morning. welcome back. i am dylan ratigan. we want to reset out agenda here for the hour. we're watching live pictures of friends and family of eunice kennedy shriver to bid her final farewell. one important member of the kennedy family, however, missing today from the funeral, her brother senator ted kennedy who is battling brain cancer himself. a live report from hyannis in a second here. also on the agenda, exclusive nbc news video from the deadly collision over the hudson river. what does it reveal about the crash? do we have a bigger problem in our air space or not? uninsured? america. we're head to go a clinic that is offering free health care all week for those who can't afford it. so many people are showing up that some are, indeed, being turned away.

how much are the uninsured costing all of us in this country? and lessons from the town hall brawls. what freedom watch told us they wanted to accomplish at town hall meetings across the country and what actually happened. the boss of freedom watch joins us. i want to get out to ann thompson, however, in hyannis. what is happening, ann? >> dylan, we are watching the body of eunice kennedy shriver being carried in by her daughter maria shriver, her husband, arnold schwarzenegger, the governor of california, and eunice kennedy shriver's four sons, anthony, mark, bobby and first came a group of special olympians down the street, followed by law enforcement, followed by the casket and the shriver family.

standing at attention with their medals on and their hands over their hearts were some of the special olympians that eunice kennedy shriver made her own over the years when she founded special olympics back in 1968. the casket is now inside the church of st. frances xavier. the family has worshipped here for decades and it is where maria shriver married arnold schwarzenegger many years ago here in the church, there is an altar that was donated by the kennedys in memory of joe junior who was killed in world war ii. there was a plaque in this church where president john f. kennedy used to come and worship and it is -- it has a very special place in kennedy history. as you mentioned, senator ted kennedy is not here today, but you can see his wife victoria, she is here representing her

husband. as you know, senator kennedy is battling brain cancer and while he did attend a private wake for his sister earlier in the week and he has been meeting with family throughout the week, he did not feel well enough to attend today's ceremonies. you also see loretta clayborn in the yellow dress here holding the special olympics torch. she is a special olympian who said that eunice kennedy shriver changed her life. among the dignitaries who are here today at the funeral, we saw stevie wonder come in, we saw scott hamilton who is the olympic figure skater, bart connor who is an olympic gymnast and been on the board of special olympics for 20 years. they are all in attendance today. dylan? >> allen lickman joins us, a political analyst and american history storian. inside or outside the kennedy family, where and who will be

able -- will pick up the values of this family and this ideology, allen? >> i think this is so important. you know, our nation was witnessed many memorials to the kennedys and i think this is time to reflect upon these values of hope, of positive contributions to the country, of selfless public service. very important at a time when we see such shrill and negative politics across the land, at a time where we see our politics dominated by money and special interests, when it has become more important how well you lobby, not what is in your heart. obviously, i think of president barack obama has really tried to pick up the torch of the kennedys and he is certainly been inspired by that ideal of public service, but you can see what a difficult time he's having and how tough it is in this very different era to

maintain that extraordinary kind of spirit. and, of course, eunice shriver kennedy's own children embodied that same spirit. tim, ceo special olympics and mark and bob very much with education and anthony as well and there are many ways to serve your country, not just in politics. >> allan, thank you very much. allan, i bed you a good day. ann, thanks for the reporting. i want to check in with chris jansing for the balance of the news this hour. >> very much. lack weekend's deadly air collision over the hudson river off new york city, we want to warn you the video is a bit disturbing to watch. all of it caught on tape italian tourist on board a boat on the hudson. you can see the plane clipping

the rotors of the helicopter. all were killed. another major development. two traffic air controllers have been suspended. nbc tom costello is following the latest developments. tom, the faa says what, one traffic controller was talking on the phone at a time of the disaster? >> personal conversation. other reports say, it was, in fact, with his girlfriend. what we can report to you is aviation sources tell us he was on his headset at the time and because of that, they have a reorganized of entire personal conversation. they know exactly how long it lasted and what he said. he has been suspended facing possible disciplinary actions. secondarily, the control tower supervisor was not in the tower. he should have been. he, too, has been suspended. we hasten to add and the afaa underscores despite those facts they do not believe that contributes to this crash.

there still appears to be a mid air collision involving two pilots who were in air space was not controlled. again, below 1,100 feet the hudson river is without control and flight plans. this video would seem to support the idea or the theory that the plane was coming up, ascending, if you will, turning right and literally didn't see the helicopter that it was in his blind spot. it looks as if the helicopter hit the plane on the right wing clearly severing that wing right off. the plane banks dramatically and nose dives into the water. that is also the consensus of a former ntsb investigator we have looked at this video and all will be gleaned carefully by the ntsb. i've been on the phone with the ntsb this morning. they are asking for as clean of a copy as possible so they can scan it frame-by-frame. >> they've been concerned for a while, haven't they, about these tour operators, both helicopters

and planes and have wanted some changes made and haven't had a whole lot of success? >> yes. the ntsb has been concerned about the -- several concerns. restrictions, air face restri restrictions or the lack thereof in the hudson river corridor. secondary, the ntsb has been concerned about the regulations that govern air tour operators. keep in mind, this was a sightseeing helicopter. the ntsb and the faa are inherently at odds with each other. that's the way the system is designed. the ntsb can't regulate anything, they can only call for safety advances. it's up to the faa to act. the ntsb and the faa are often at odds and yet again on this issue, they are looking at another issue that they have not always agreed on in the past. >> all right. tom, thanks so much. two wildfires raging in california and more than 5,100 acres burned and 1,200 homes threatened. as many as 25,000 residents

evacuated from their homes. steep terrain and limited access is hampering the firefighters efforts. less wind and blaze could help get blaze under control. a woman tasered last january by a police officer got a chance to tell her story. the officer pulled her over in january for driving while on her cell phone and also for speeding. she refuted the allegations and stepped out of her minivan and he tasered her while her two children sat in the car. today, she told meredith vieira her story. >> i knew that he was lying. i knew that i wasn't speeding. i knew that i wasn't on a cell phone and i wanted him to show me the tape. >> the officer reportedly tasered her twice. the woman said she was scared to death. >> understandably. >> who wouldn't be? >> say again? >> and who wouldn't be? >> yeah, karen and i were discussing if it's me on the

phone ataser him! please, somebody! but not with her. that is terrible. next up on the agenda at the "morning meeting," thousands turning out for a free health care clinic in l.a., so many the group running it had to turn people away. what does that say about the state of health care in the u.s.? and why do we ration it right now based on who is the richest? we'll have that conversation coming up. these days, when you have to spend, shopping online can help save. doing it with bank of america can help save a lot more. up to 20% cash back from over 300 online retailers with our add it up program. just sign up and use your bank of america debit or credit card when you shop online. it's one of the many ways we make saving money in tough times a whole lot easier. ♪

bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors and outdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. what do you say to a spin around the color wheel? - to paint with primer already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ...so we can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo! ♪ oh! more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. more saving. more doing.

has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

no surprise. lots of politicking on health care reform but truly see the need for affordable health care in this country only look at a volunteer program in california. a free health fair in the l.a. area drawing thousands of the

uninsured and underinsured so much they are turning people away. nbc stephanie statin is live in inglewood, california with more. >> dylan, many people saying this event spot lights our nation's health care problem. this is normally where people come for rock concerts but behind me it is transformed into a giant medical triage. people come here. they are getting dental care and all sorts of medical care. this is called a ram event, remote area medical event, and drawing thousands of people around los angeles who basically need care. so much so, officials have now started turning people away. they estimate that they were able to treat about 8,000 people over the course of this eight-day event. they've been handing out wristbands. they say they simply cannot meet the needs of all the people that have come here and so that is the situation right now. again, putting a spotlight on this nation's health care problem and you can see what is going on. this is going to be going on

until tuesday. back to you, dylan. >> thank you, stephanie. mark aims ooe joins us. you recently wrote a piece about american health care corporations, a drug companies and insurance companies specifically entitled "billionaire can a balances. what do you mean? >> there's a study out. i don't know why it's not been cited more particularly by the white house or the democrats. it goes back to 2002, a study by the institute of medicine which said 18,000 people were dying a year from lack of health care insurance. that was updated last year by the urban institute and they upped the number to 22,000 a year. what you have are in this country a 911 event every couple of months because of lack of health insurance. and people who are supporting who want to keep the system we have now are basically supporting the murder of thousands of americans every year, and i think it's time that, you know, if the republicans are talking about

death panels, which are a fiction, which don't even exist, why are the democrats talking about real deaths that are happening now because of the system we have? >> the striking statistic or one of the most striking statistics i've seen on health care is the following. take a look at this. it shows the life expecty gap between the appellatest americans and the poorest americans in 1980, the life expectancy for the poorest americans was to 73 and life expectancy for the rich was 75. almost 76 there. now it's up to 80 for the richest and it has improved almost to 75 but, again, the gap is wider and not narrower. jonathan capehart, what has occurred to me in learning and watching this is we do ration health care in this country based on who is the richest. in other words, if you're wealthy you can get the best health care in the world and if you're in the middle you get a version of it or if you're poor you call 911 or go away. >> which costs taxpayers and

everyone else a lot of money now. >> we ration health care now. >> sure but this is a battle over nomenclature and lexicon. what we really need to do is focus on the fact that -- and it's great that we led with that health fair in los angeles -- because we've been spending all this time talking about death panels which don't really exist and not focusing on the real thing that's happening and those people who are being turned away, that is why president clinton tried to do it and why now president obama is trying to do it, bring about some kind of reform so those health fairs in los angeles aren't necessary or wouldn't be necessary and if there is a way for the administration and the democrats and those folks on the other side in the republican party who really want to do something about this, you got to switch the conversation away from the imaginary and the real which is happening in los angeles. >> jonathan, you know, look. i think morally this is the

right thing to do but i think a lot of people in a bad economy saying what i've got is okay and i'm afraid of what i don't know. i'm surprised the white house hasn't made more of the argument of what the cost is to people like us. we are paying for people when they go to the insurance companies or going to the emergency room like 1,400 a year. i had to sit in an emergency room for six hours with a bleeding foot because the emergency room is full because people are using it -- >> we pay way more for it. france pay 12% of their gdp and we have national health care with you did he don't want to commit it and pay 18% of our gdp as a result of our inability to deal with the reality how we live. >> and so, karen, you're a former democratic strategist. you worked for hillary clinton. you've been in room and what can they do better?

not even -- how do you at least refocus the conversation? >> i think what you saw the president trying to do this week which is simplify the message. i think it's critical because this is a simplicketed issue which makes it very easy to be taken off message. as we've been doing talking about death squads. i call them death squads because it's so ridiculous. but also talk to people what does it mean for you? how is your life going to change? i think for a lot of people we're having these discussions and throwing around the big numbers. you need to show people what it's going to mean for them. if the president says you like what you have, you can keep it. if you don't, there will be another option, keeping it basic and simple and making it clear to people what it means to them. >> if you can move around, emphasize patient choice. i don't care. public option, wyden/bennett or the march shaun martians have a plan, i don't care, you can deliver portability and patient choice and manage for cost which is the final thing.

i can deliver you the world's most portable and choice ladened plan ever if i don't care about money. >> also, you know, this is not an industry where -- to be putting profits over what is right for people. this should not be a profit-making industry. it's insane. >> well, you get the last word. >> i agree with her. it's a gut issue. people are afraid for their lives and for their health. the administration has not been addressing that. >> jonathan? >> dylan, the president and the administration have been saying of late, the last couple of weeks, they've been talking about what it means to you, that you will be able to take it with you. if you like the plan that you have, you won't have to change a thing. i think what we need to do is -- or maybe -- i'm not saying that i'm speaking for the administration, but i think the democrats and the administration need to make people focus on what is happening at that health clinic there in los angeles. why are there people lined up

and being turned away to get free medical care? why is that? and that is happening. that's happening around the country and to make people understand that, you know, yes this means something to you, but there's a larger issue here. people are going without health care because they can't afford it. >> we have a social value system we are debating do we put the profitability of health insurance companies and drug companies ahead of the overall health and well-being of people who live in america? that is the question, right? >> having been through this once again, jonathan, i love you dearly, i'm sorry to say, the people who are protesting at these town halls, they don't care about those people waiting in long. as long as they've got theirs. they want to understand how it's going to affect their lives. >> government health care? >> maybe you should go ask them. >> over 50 crowd is the one most against it. >> medicare and veterans care. and members of congress. >> i find it startling.

you say the over 50 crowd are the most against it and they are getting the most government benefit in health care! >> they want to hold on to what they have and not give it to anybody else. >> why wouldn't they want that for their kids and grandkids? >> this kuned, that question and many more on "meet the press." david gregory devoting the full hour to this debate. the guests including the following. that is this sunday on "meet the press." check your local listings for a time and go to exhaustonline.com to read his piece. we are plugging into politics here after this on msnbc. former president clinton speaking out about health care himself saying what is going on now is reminiscent of the effort to bring down his own attempt at reform. the great taste

of splenda® no calorie sweetener and added a little fiber? sweet! sweet! (together) sweet! (announcer) now for the first time, a gram of healthy fiber in every packet. sweet! (announcer) splenda® with fiber. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny

and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore toat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. special interest groups are trying to block progress on health care reform, derailing the debate with myths and scare tactics. desperately trying to stop you from discovering that reform won't hurt medicare. it will actually strengthen it by eliminating billions of dollars in waste and lowering drug prices. tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care. learn the facts at healthactionnow.org.

combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there. imodium. get back out there.

welcome back. chris janssizing here with the latest buzz. >> talk about bill clinton. he is at this convention and saying they are doing it all over again, meaning conservatives and meaning the republicans going after health care. >> right. >> he it was a debacle, frankly. he says they're doing it again. "the new york times" does a front page story. here is what they say editorial of the -- betsy mccoy, 1994, she became a star of the conservative movement. a lieutenant governor. >> right. >> they say this is the same kind of formal movement that started before and it's a central message they are staying on it and to some extent, it's been successful. bill clinton says don't let them do it because we are beginning

of what could be a 30 to 40-year period of a progressive moment getting very strong. remember joe the plumber? >> but he wasn't a plumber be i played that on tv. >> his name is wersle balker. he signed up to be a stand-up comedian. he has done a lot of things over the last week or year or so, been on the radio, been a commentator and talked about doing a tv show. guess who won last year in this competition? >> i have no idea. >> i think this is easy question. who do you think would be the funniest celebrity in washington? he actually is pretty hilarious. former governor mike huckabee. >> i was going with chuck todd. >> he is a laugh riot!

>> mike huckabee is funnier than chuck todd? all right. >> i'm not a judge. >> all right. >> one time i had to judge a little miss, your local city contest? there were 15 contestants and when we announced the winner, the other 14 burst out in tears. never judge anything, even a funniest celebrity in washington. >> indeed. it's all downside. >> you're always going to upset more people than you make happy. >> it's like dealing with health care as a politician. all downside. in the next half hour of the "morning meeting," more than one week after the town halls exploded around the country, what, if anything, have we learned as we wore work our way through a tumultuous august. i never thought i would have a heart attack, but i did. you need to talk to your doctor about aspirin. you need to be your own advocate. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. you take care of your kids, now it's time to take care of yoursel so? mmmm ok. you were right.

these healthy choice fresh mixer thingys, they taste fresh... say it again! what? say it like, "mmmm, these healthy choice fresh mixers taste freshh!!" they taste fresh... wait. what are you doing? got it. you're secretly taping me? you were good too! but you know, it wn't a secret to us, we knew... yes, but it was a secret to me. of course, otherwise i would be sitting like this and completely block his shot. so that's why i was like... didn't you notice this was weird? no. they taste fresh because you make them fresh. healthy choice fresh mixers. in the soup or pasta aisle. gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ .

shout. we always tell people to be respectful. we tell them to know and understand the issues but we also tell them to be assertive and get answers. >> all right. one week ago today that the fres of freedom works matt joined us to talk about the town hall meetings and as far as telling reform critics to be respectful and not to shout, that message one that got through to some perhaps, and not to others. again, you know the images from these meetings. i want to bring matt into the conversation. he is back with us a week later, president of freedom works.

matt, appreciate you returning to the conversation and with us is karen finney who worked in the clinton white house on reform in '93 and '94. matt, your thoughts on both the effectiveness and the quality of the dialogue in the town halls at least as far as freedom works has been encouraging people to attend? >> i think we're still encouraging people to attend and we're seeing a lot of people showing up it at the town hall meetings. i think the think that is different is that the democrats and their friends outside the government are now bussing in their folks to challenge the citizens that have shown up. three kind of people that show up at town hall meetings. citizens, special interests, and then a few crazy people. it's always been that way and always be that way. the predominant folks that are showing up, even to this day, are real people and the democratic strategy seems to be insult them and that is not working. >> here is my concern right now overall. i don't care democrat,

republican, martian. the quality of the information, in other words, if we're debating things that actually exist, i think that is spectacular but debating things that don't exist seems to be a waste. time but if we're debating things that people scared that is valued. take a listen to this sound bite from the president. >> i've been getting a lot of letters, pro and con, for health care reform, and one of the letters i received recently, a woman was very exercised about what she had heard about my plan. she said i don't want government-run health care, i don't want you meddling in the private marketplace, and keep your hands off my medicare. true story. >> the humor there, self-elevate, in that medicare is government health care. matt, what is your view on medicare? >> well, i think there is a fact

here sha that is being ignored. medicare is going bankrupt. it's completely broke. we don't know how we're going to pay for it in the future which is a real threat for people that depend on it and this proposal, does, in fact, take $500 billion out of a broken program to expand coverage for other population. i think that's crazy. >> matt, with all due respect here, you know, the money it takes out of medicare, it takes not out of providing services to seniors. it takes it out of inefficiencies. when you go around spreading that kind of misinformation, that does not help people get the right information and, you know, i don't agree, obviously, with your revision of history what happened this past week. we know before congress left, there was a memo going around that went to all of the conservative groups about how specifically how to be disruptive. your organization, in part, is funded by very conservative groups, as well as met life which is an insurance companies. i question your motives and i think you're promoting

misinformation and sending people off to these town halls with misinformation. >> oh, that wasn't nice, karen! that is no way to conduct a debate! >> wait a second! i'm powerful but on not that powerful! >> you think they're playing dirty, that was dirty. do we have matt back? i think we might have lost him. >> democrats strike back! >> matt, are you back? that is the ultimate dirty trick right there. we wouldn't do that. go ahead. >> oh, no! that was not me! dylan, cut it out! let the guy talk! >> matt, one more time. are you there? >> i think i'm here. am i here? >> he is here. go ahead, matt. >> i checked out the met life thing and that came from a dnc set of talking points. we did not receive money from met life. i could spend all day debunking these mythologies but the fact of the matter is that the president is busy cutting deals with the big pharmaceutical

companies. the big health insurance companies are on board with this plan. so if having corporate interest involved in health care reform is a bad thing, as you suggest, that only -- that only dams the plan that they are behind which is the president's plan. >> would you continue to spread misinformation about these death squads? i mean, is that helping people understand what is -- i mean, where does it say that in the bill? tell me exactly where says that in the bill. you are spreading misinformation and sending people to these town halls with inaccurate information. how does that help people get their questions answered and understand more about what is actually happening? >> i don't think -- first of all, i don't think freedom works has said a word about death squads. you can scrub our website. i'm certainly not aware of it. >> you're not providing any kind of information to the people who are going to town halls? you're not giving them any information? >> we are providing as much information as we can possibly get in their hands. >> is it accurate information? >> what they are doing. >> is it accurate information? >> absolutely. >> if we go back to the medicare piece that the monies they are

talking about taking out are actually taking out regarding insef -- inefficients and has nothing with the quality of the -- >> i've been involved in health care over 20 years. we always talk about getting inefficiencies out of government programs and it never worked out that way. when you take that much money out of a government program, you are squeezing the program and, in effect, it either results in rationing or what is going on right now which is a transfer of dollars in medicare out of the program. >> a question for both of pup from here, matt, what two or three things -- what two or three points of information -- because medicare is expensive. all of us understand why we're having this conversation, even if no one can agree what to do about it, we understand that there is a problem to be discussed which is expensive health care and a lot of people that don't get it, we ration it based on who has money and who doesn't at this point, right? >> right. >> what do you think we should be talking about to solve for this problem? forget any of the current

proposals. matt, you first and then karen. >> sure. i think the first rule, as in health care provision is first, do no harm. when we are talking about health care policy, the last thing we want to do is more of the same that has got us into this mess. >> agreed. >> we need to get the government out of health care. they've distorted the pricing structure and made it expensive. >> haven't they distorted the pricing structure by allowing anti-competitive business practices for health care insurance companies by allowing anti-competitive business practices for pharmaceutical companies and, as a result, monies could be used to provide more health care for people and i think tackily on the health insurance side. because i know the drug companies use that money and economic incentive for cures for cancer center is a very valid case but the health care insurance aspect is a sufficiency supported by the government to enrich a community of people not invoicing any value to america but are, in fact, taking value from america?

>> here something we might i gre on. why can't we as consumers shop across state line for health insurance? it would add for more competition and more consumer choice. >> wyden/bennett which i bring up all the time and karen is rolling her head. it is a choice-driven plan that may or may not have a co-op in it but what do you think? >> i think we need to be talking about a public option and why that is important. >> isn't that competitive, too, though? >> no. >> protecting the health insurance companies, un-american and anti-competitive isn't it equally anti-competitive for the government to step into the marketplace in this way with a public option and co-op or other aspect? >> co-op, the part of the problem is a lot of questions they haven't worked out who sets the standards and port ability. with a public option basically what you're saying is the people have a choice. i mean, similarly -- >> how does that affect cost? we're evaluating based on port

ability, patient choice and cost. >> if i can get quality health care at a lower cost over here, the insurance companies which currently hold a monopoly are forced to look at not what is driven by their profits but by delivering good, quality, affordable services. >> what if we were simply to break the monopoly and anti-competitive structure -- >> that doesn't work. >> sure it does. are you saying the internet marketplace have not made markets for travel and automobiles for drugs, for ma matter, online? far more efficient and far more effective. why wouldn't he -- before we start writing taxpayer checks why wouldn't we force a competitive market and see how big the hole is as opposed to supporting and anti-competitive health insurance market and writing a check on the taxpayer? >> i don't think it's anti-competitive. financing, it creates more competition and i think gives people more choices and options and i think it puts the pressure on the insurance companies to actually have to -- >> but the public -- have to make money -- that is the grand

debate, right? >> part of how we got here is insurance companies are focused on delivering to their shareholders than delivering quality care. >> i would shi say the health insurance companies are more on protecting themselves from competition. >> and protecting their profits. >> the same way the big banks try to protect themselves. >> how did that work out? >> the mexican drug dealer, of course. but what to say that allowing a monopoly is a bad thing for america is an understandable criticism but to answer that by saying the government has to take over with a monopoly used to run when is there a huge middle ground that creates jobs and less people participate and innovate and create, without a monopoly or government control. >> what is to stop that type of creativity and innovation in a private system? why would they be stopped from doing that? financing i would hope it would make them more likely to be innovative and creative and and focus on on people, not profit. >> understand. matt, one last thought here?

>> another idea we should look at is get the government out of this idea of mandating a certain set of health care benefits. let the consumers decide what they want to buy in the marketplace. >> i guess the only thing there insurance only works if everybody is in. 20-year-old dylan ratigan doesn't need much in the way of health insurance and i didn't bought it, who cares, right? i'm crazy, and i'll ride a motorcycle but 70-year-old dylan ratigan needs health care. how is it fair that the 20-year-old dylan ratigan never was forced the same way i haven't been forced to buy car insurance if i don't think i'm going to have a car accident to support the structure? >> young people should be allowed to buy the package that they need because they are healthier and they don't have as much money as senior citizens do. so there ought to be a balance here. what we're talking about in this package that the president is proposing is forcing everybody to buy the same thing and it is, in effect, a transfer of wealth from young people who are healthier and have less money.

>> listen, generational theft is the current american status quo as far as i can tell. >> by choice? >> that's for another day. matt, please come back. karen is here. we have the duration of august and september, so lots of fun conversation to come. still to come here at the "morning meeting," we will go back out to the funeral of eunice kennedy shriver right after this. of honey bunches of ? the sparkly flakes. the honey-baked bunches! the magic's in the mix. my favorite part? eating it. honey bunches of oats. taste the joy we put in every spoonful.

introcing the all new chevy equinox. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon. and up to 600 miles between fill ups. it's the most fuel efficient crossover on the highway. better than honda cr-v, toyota rav4 and even the ford escape hybrid. the all new chevy equinox. it whadoctors recommend most for headaches. for arthritis pain... in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers.. and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever.

dominates heartburn. 24/7... including the eight hours you spend with your eyes closed. prilosec otc. heartburn gone. power on.

welcome back. here is chris with the balance of the news, including, of course, the funeral of eunice kennedy shriver. >> we take you to hyannis, massachusetts, where family and friends are gathered to say farewell to eunice kennedy shriver, the sister of jfk and ted kennedy. the kennedy/shriver family and stevie wonder and oprah are attending the private mass. senator ted kennedy who is battling brain cancer is not there. nbc andrea mitchell is live outside the kennedy family church in eye an nis, massachusetts.

what can you tell us, andrea? >> it's been an extraordinary morning already as the family and friends gather here. of course the special olympians who came bearing a torch, they, for whom, she worked to hard to change the way their lives could be lived. millions of people around the world. the priest speaking about her and talked about the origin, the greek origin of her name of eunice, the name which in greece means the good victory and that is so much to the point of eunice shriver's very good life. and the eulogies will be delivered by her children, by maria shriver and the brothers, but, first, other members of the family have been participating in the funeral mass, including, of course, son-in-law governor arnold schwarzenegger. >> shout for joy to the lord, all the earth burst into jubilant song with music. make music to the lord with your heart, with your heart and be

the sound of singing, with compass and a blast of the horn and shout for joy before the lord, the king. >> and earlier, the priest mentioned that governor schwarzenegger, then arnold schwarzenegger married maria shriver here at this church in 1986. as he was participating in the service, he looked down and eunice shriver was looking over to him and mouthing words and gesturing to him and what she was gesturing and mouthing silently was "keep it moving! keep it moving." he said that is eunice. she was always keeping it moving with compassion and competitively and doing it for public service. >> an drew dre a. >> funeral services headlight for michael "scott" speicher. a hearse carried the flag-draped

casket through the streets of jacksonville. the ceremony for captain speicher includes a 21-gun salute and a navy flyover. a live picture here at andrews air force base where the president and first lady are expected to arrive any moment and they will be traveling to montana where president obama will be holding the first of two health care town halls in two days. he is trying to get more hands-on for the debate. the white house is also stepping up efforts to debunk what they call myths and lies about health care reform. can you see the president's town hall in gallatin, montana, live before it begins before tlooen eastern time on msnbc. this just in to nbc news. the former manson disciple was released from prison a couple of hours ago. she tried to shoot president ford outside the capital in 1965. she has been serving a life sentence in texas. baltimore police

investigating a car crash involving michael phelps. police say he was driving a cadillac escalade when it collided with a honda accord. no one in phelps car was injured an the female driver in the accord was taken to the hospital as a precaution. police say alcohol was not a factor in this crash. tmz reportering that police in pennsylvania called to the home of jon's kate gosselin. the coupleship arguing at the time. it's not clear who called the cops or what exactly happened but tmz.com caught kate gosselin check nothing a local day's inn after the situation was resolved. i have nothing, absolutely nothing to add to that. >> let us know indulge. we will be back with the take-away from our last meeting of the week right after this. whd to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say...

bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy ne and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. go to nasonex.com has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? long summer days and not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over.

(announcer) new neutrogena total skin renewal. gentle exfoliating puffs and micro-vibrations speed surface cell turnover. it's clinically tested to help undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just one week. that summer of sun? i just made it disappear. (announcer) ne total skin renewal. neutrogena recommended most by dermatologists.

♪ i can feel the heat

>> welcome back. toure is here. >> good to be here. you had a good interview with the kid. i like that! you were actually very calm and if you can believe that dylan was nice to the kid. let's show a little bit more of the kid because i love dylan talking to the kid. >> do you see him or talk to him again, will you tell him i'm not a bad guy and i'd love to do an interview with him myself? >> yes. >> damon, forget the fact he had the president but the list of people he has been able to interview. >> you see, he is polite and calls even someone like yourself sir and doesn't interrupt. let others talk! these are what tv professionals tend to do. you, sir, brilliant. >> i've got a road to hoe here. when i was 11, i was better. >> really? you didn't interrupt when you were 11? i want to get mamma ratigan on

the phone. can i get an interview with her? >> she is unavailable. >> call me. >> i can get her. >> do you think she can help me get an interview with the president? do you think if i use him? >> dylan ratigan can help you better than damon? i don't know. but damon, call me. i want an interview with the president, too. >> a pleasure to spend some time with you this week. thank you for spending time with us and thank you for spending time with us for that matter. our thanks to chris jansing for spending time for that matter. thank you, chris. >> unemployment rate going down. michael vick has got a job! >> a new job in america. >> that's right. >> people deserve second chances even if chris jansing says they don't! >> that's is a wrap on today's "morning meeting." i am dylan ratigan. my colleague carlos watson picks up after this. ♪ ♪ we're kids in america bicycle, i've missed you.

gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . ♪ and now in my sixties, they are again. andpa, are we there yet?

i have the freedom to do what i want... and go where i want. grandpa, come on! freedom is what i like about my medicare supplement insurance. i can see the doctor i want, where i want, anywhere in the country. now your sixties can be a time of freedom again... with aarp medicare supplement insurance plans... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. because any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare... will accept aarp medicare supplement insurance. anywhere in the u.s. the freedom to do my own thing, without worrying about which doctor i can see. medicare covers only about 80%... of your part b healthcare costs. the rest has to come out of your pocket. but with an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, you could save up to thousands of dollars... because it helps cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses... medicare doesn't. and only these medicare supplement plans... have the aarp name... and cover more people nationwide... than any other medicare supplement insurance carrier. call today and you'll receive a free information kit... with a customized rate quote to help you choose the plan... that's right for you. you'll learn about a choice of plans... that help cover some of the 20% out-of-pocket costs...

that medicare part b doesn't cover, making it easier to budget your annual healthcare expenses. oh, grandp and you'll discover how convenient and easy... it is to use your aarp medicare supplement insurance. you just show your card. no hassles. at this time of my life, freedom is everything. medicare only pays for part of your healthcare coverage. you have to come up with the rest. it's all about freedom of choice. back in the sixties, i went my own way. why stop now? so call today for a free information kit. when you call, you'll also receive... this free educational guide to help you... understand your medicare coverage options. it's yours free, so call now. and learn how aarp medicare supplement insurance... can help make your sixties a time of freedom. again. combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there.